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At the time I had thought he was insane but now I couldn’t be more grateful that he had made sure I had this knowledge.I quickly open the faucet to fill the tub and grab all the towels I can find, shoving some into the crack at the bottom of the door.Grabbing my cell phone, I lower my body into the water.Unlocking the screen, I scroll through my contacts until I find Colton’s number.But just as I am about to hit the call button, my trembling hands lose their grip, and the device disappears beneath the water.
“Fuck!”I curse.“What the hell do I do now?”
I’m talking to myself, but I don’t care.If I die tonight at least the last conversation I have will be an intelligent one.“Don’t panic.Colton is on his way.”
Tears stream down my face as the reality hits me that not only could I die here tonight but I have lost everything.The bakery, my home.I have nothing left.Hell, I don’t even own a car.
“Echo!”I hear Colton’s voice and I remove the wet towel from my face.
“Colton!”I call back as hard as I can but my throat hurts.
“Where are you?”he calls but I am struggling to catch my breath.“Echo!”
His voice sounds panicked.“I’m in the bathroom.”
Soon enough he walks in to find me in the tub.He has soot marks covering his face and arms, but I swear to all that is holy, I have never seen a man more gorgeous than he is at the moment.
“We need to get out of here,” he says and even though I know he is trained for situations like this, panic still sets in.
“But the fire!”I cry out, my terror bleeding into my words.
“Do you trust me?”he asks calmly while looking down at me.
I stare at him for a moment before nodding.How could I not trust him?He says something but I’m not sure what, all I can hear is my heavy breathing.He cradles me to his chest, covering me with one of the wet towels, and before I can even orientate myself, we are outside, and he is placing me down on a gurney beside an ambulance.
“I don’t know how long she was in there,” Colton says to the man who is already moving around me, grabbing different items he may need.“She may have some smoke inhalation, but she shouldn’t have any burns.”
“Are you sure?”the paramedic asks.“Why is she soaking wet?”
“I found her in the tub covered in water,” Colton says but his gaze is locked on his fellow firefighters.“I’ll be right back.I need to check if the guys need anything.”
“That was smart,” the paramedic says to me with a smile.Placing the stethoscope on my chest he listens carefully.“Breath in deeply, hold for three seconds, and exhale.”
I follow all of his instructions while staring at Colton as he moves between the other firefighters.
“Who taught you to do that?”the paramedic asks after listening to my breathing.
I smile and nod in Colton’s direction.“He did.A long time ago.”
Chapter Four
Colton
It’s been a little over an hour since I pulled Echo from the building and the fire has finally been put out.The paramedic has seen her and assured me that aside from a sore throat she is perfectly fine.I got lucky too.No more than some singed hair along my arms and the back of my neck.It could have been so much worse for both of us.
She stands beside me wrapped in a blue tartan picnic blanket I had behind the seat in my truck.Luckily, it’s summer and she isn’t freezing.
“Colton,” Dexter Banks, the other fire chief for our house greets me.
“Chief,” I say in reply.
The man is older than I am and has held his post longer.I have respect for him and all that he has accomplished.
“Can we talk privately?”
I stare at him trying to figure out what he might want to say to me.“If it’s about the fire, I think Echo deserves to know.”
He nods before speaking.“In that case, I am sorry to say that this fire was set on purpose.”
